By Hank Wesch

BEST PAL PROVIDES EARLY TEST OF TOP 2-YEAR-OLDS’ METTLE

Eight 2-year-old colts that have shown promise in initial racing experiences get a significant test of ability in Sunday’s 44^th running of the $200,000 Grade II Best Pal Stakes.

One of them is entered off one start and victory. Five have one victory from two starts. One has two wins in three starts. The most experienced has been to the post four times and comes in having won two in a row. All will be going 6 ½ furlongs for the first time.

Dan Hendricks trains the 5-2 opening line favorite, Story to Tell, for Cecil Peacock. Nine years ago, Hendricks and Peacock were the connections for Brother Derek, who won the Norfolk Stakes and Hollywood Futurity as a 2-year-old and, at three, won the Santa Anita Derby and dead-heated for fourth with eventual Belmont Stakes winner Jazil in the Kentucky Derby.

The last 2-year-old stakes victory at Del Mar for the Hendricks/Peacock combination was with Don’tsellmeshort in the 2003 Graduation. The prospect of another is invigorating.

“(Peacock) is the best owner I’ve ever had,” Hendricks said. “He loves the game and he’s excited to be running in the Best Pal.”

Story to Tell, a Kentucky-bred son of Bluegrass Cat, was a $200,000 purchase at the Barretts sale in March. He followed up a first-out victory in May at Santa Anita with a runner-up effort to recent Graduation Stakes winner Wake Up Nick in the Santa Anita Juvenile in June and won the Willard L. Proctor Memorial at Los Alamitos on July 13. Story to Tell has earnings of $118,600.

“He has put on weight since his last race and you couldn’t ask for more than that for a 2-year-old,” Hendricks said. “It’s going to be a jockey’s race and we have the inside post position, so we’ll see what happens.

“We’re ahead of the game with him right now, and we’re just enjoying it.”

The field from the rail out: Story to Tell (Joe Talamo, 5-2), Conquest Bigluck E (Mike Smith, 5-1), Two Six Wins (Martin Pedroza, 20-1), Bad Reach Sanchez (Mario Gutierrez, 3-1), Rowdy Dylan (Edwin Maldonado, 7-2), Henry’s Holiday (Tyler Baze, 10-1), Skyway (Stewart Elliott, 5-1), Highway Boss (Tiago Pereira, 12-1).

MANDELLA AWAITS ARRIVAL OF BRAZILIAN TRIPLE CROWN CHAMPION

Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella was relishing the prospect Saturday morning of the opportunity to train Bal A Bali, winner of the Brazilian Triple Crown in 2013 and already qualified for a spot in the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf on   November 1 at Santa Anita.

Mandella had recently received past performance sheets which showed track record performances in Brazil at a mile and 1 ½ miles. The mile time, 1:31.36, approached the world record. A victory in the Gran Premio Brazil, a “Win And You’re In” Breeders’ Cup qualifier, secured a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Bal A Bali has been flown to Miami and is in quarantine pending shipment to Del Mar next Friday. He will train but not race here. Bal A Bali was recently purchased by Fox Hill Farm and Siena Farm in Kentucky via former Southern California trainer and South America-connected bloodstock agent John Fulton.

Fulton and Mandella paired up last year with import Indy Point, winner of the 2013 Wickerr Stakes at Del Mar.

“I just got a call asking me if I would take him,” Mandella said. Adding, with typical Mandella dry humor: “I guess they hadn’t checked my record at Del Mar this year.”

Probably not. But they were undoubtedly aware of Mandella’s success with imports like Argentine-bred  Gentlemen, whose victories included the 1997 Pacific Classic.

“This is kind of like that, I think Gentlemen had won two-thirds of the Argentine Triple Crown,” Mandella said. “Very few come along with a record and pedigree like this. It’s very exciting.”

LEGACY SCRATCHED FROM CLEMENT HIRSCH

Legacy, winner of the Cypress Stakes at Los Alamitos in her last start, was scratched from Saturday’s Clement L. Hirsch Stakes, leaving a field of six for the $300,000  Grade I event.

The 1 1/16-mile Hirsch is a “Win And You’re In” qualifier for the  Breeders’ Cup Distaff. 

WHAT’S IN A NAME – The Clement L. Hirsch Stakes honors the memory of one of Del Mar Thoroughbred Club’s founding directors. During a long career as an owner and breeder he campaigned stakes stars June Darling and Figonero.

CLUBHOUSE RIDE WORKS FOR PACIFIC CLASSIC

Gold Cup at Santa Anita runner-up Clubhouse Ride worked a mile in 1:41.00 Saturday morning for the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic on August 24.

“He went well and everything’s on course,” trainer Craig Lewis said. “It looks like it will be a very tough race, but that’s what you have to expect for $1 million.”

Clocker Toby Turrell said that after an unhurried start and half-mile in :52.40, Clubhouse Ride “gathered steam” and went the last quarter in :23.80 while finishing with good energy at and past the wire.

BAZE WATCH: QUEST FOR 2,000 PUT ON HOLD

Jockey Tyler Baze will be off his mounts again Saturday while awaiting the birth of his first child.

Baze, one victory away from 2,000 for his career, left Friday to be with his wife, Christina, and was replaced on six mounts on the card. He was scheduled to ride nine of 10 races Saturday. One of his mounts, Legacy in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes, was scratched. He was replaced on eight mounts.

CALIFORNIA CHROME GETS IN EXERCISE AT LOS ALAMITOS

Trainer Art Sherman reported here Saturday morning that Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner California Chrome had a quarter-mile blowout at Los Alamitos on Friday.

“It wasn’t a registered work. I just wanted to open up his lungs and stretch his legs a little bit,” Sherman said. “He looks great. We’re back in action.”

TRAKUS FACTS OF THE DAY FOR FRIDAY

Patriots Rule came from last to run second in Friday’s feature, the Real Good Deal Stakes, taking an overland trip to get there.  At the finish, Patriots Rule covered 52 feet more than front-running and rail-riding winner Red Outlaw. While the final margin  was just a length, it is worth noting that covering an extra 52 feet equates to just more than six lengths.

CLOSERS – Martin Garcia is the Jockeytalk360.com rider of the week for July 21-27. The website, for and about jockeys, honored Garcia for a weekend in which he rode Fed Biz to victory in the San Diego Handicap on Saturday, breaking Zenyatta’s track record for 1 1/16 miles, then flew to Monmouth Park in New Jersey to win the Haskell Invitational on Bayern on Sunday … Ship And Win eligible horses on the Saturday card are: Songa,  (1^st, trainer Peter Miller), Be Here Now (2^nd, Henry Dominguez), Nighttiming (4^th, Kristin Mulhall), Penny Sixpence (4^th, Neil Drysdale), Shy Rosa (6^th, Sean McCarthy) and Constantine (9^th, Bob Baffert) … Selected works from 142 timed Saturday: Istanford (4f, :48.40), Clubhouse Ride (1 mile, 1:41.00).

DEL MAR STATISTICS
Jockey Standings

(Current Through Friday, August 1, 2014 Inclusive)

Trainer Standings

(Current Through Friday, August 1, 2014 Inclusive)

 Winning Favorites Report

(Current Through Friday, August 1, 2014 Inclusive)

 Winning favorites -- 29 out of 110 -- 26.36%

 Winning favorites on Polytrack -- 23 out of 80 -- 28.75%

 Winning favorites on turf -- 6 out of 30 -- 20.00%

 Winning odds-on favorites -- 5 out of 9 -- 55.56%

 In-the-Money favorites -- 67 out of 110 -- 60.91%

 In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 8 out of 9 -- 88.89%

 Saturday, August 2, 2014 Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793